Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 15, 2026

Measuring Ascending Aortic Stiffness In Vivo in Mice Using Ultrasound
Published on: December 2, 2014
Aortic elastic properties in patients with hypertensive response to exercise
Atila Bitigen1, Erdem Türkyilmaz, Irfan Barutcu
1Department of Cardiology, Kartal Kosuyolu Yüksek Ihtisas Education and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey. bitigen@yahoo.com
Background:
The aim of this study was to evaluate whether there is a relationship between aortic elastic properties in patients with a suggestive response to treadmill exercise testing.
Methods And Results:
The study group comprised 32 patients suggesting hypertensive response to exercise and 20 patients suggesting normal blood pressure response to treadmill exercise testing. Baseline demographic characteristics were similar in both groups. However, the mean aortic stiffness index of patients suggesting hypertensive response to treadmill exercise testing was significantly higher (4.8+/-1.26 vs 2.36+/-1.09; p=0.001) whereas aortic distensibility was significantly lower (12.82 +/-5.84 vs 22.64+/-14.54; p=0.001) than the control group. The aortic strain of patients with hypertensive response to exercise was lower than the control group (12+/-3% vs 19.2+/-5%, p<0.001). The left ventricular mass (LVM) of these patients was also higher than control group (206.5+/-46.3 vs 134.2+/-19.97; p=0.01). A negative correlation between LVM and distensibility was found (r=-0.64; p=0.001) well as a positive correlation between LVM and aortic stiffness index (r=0.51; p=0.004) in patients suggesting hypertensive response to exercise. Pressure--rate product was also found to be correlated with LVM (r=0.47; p=0.006).
Conclusion:
Elastic properties of the aorta may be impaired in subjects showing exaggerated blood pressure response to exercise long before clinically manifest hypertension, particularly if the LVM is increased.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Arteries and Arterioles
Exercise and Cardiovascular Response
Light to moderate physical activity initiates a series of interconnected responses in the body. The heart rate modestly increases in anticipation of the workout, followed by widespread vasodilation as oxygen consumption by skeletal muscles increases. This results in decreased peripheral resistance, increased capillary blood flow, and accelerated...
Elastin is Responsible for Tissue Elasticity
Ligaments and tendons are made of dense regular connective tissue, but in ligaments not all fibers are parallel. Dense regular elastic tissue contains elastin fibers and...
Exercise and Cardiac Output
Sustained exercise increases the muscles' oxygen demand, which can be met...
Pulse
The pulse serves as a clinical indicator...
Heart Failure II: Pathophysiology

